Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

narrow-minded

American  
[nar-oh-mahyn-did] / ˈnær oʊˈmaɪn dɪd /

adjective

  1. having or showing a prejudiced mind, as persons or opinions; biased.

    Synonyms:
    self-righteous, illiberal, intolerant, partial, biased, bigoted
    Antonyms:
    tolerant

  2. not receptive to new ideas; having a closed mind.

narrow-minded British  

adjective

  1. having a biased or illiberal viewpoint; bigoted, intolerant, or prejudiced

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • narrow-mindedly adverb
  • narrow-mindedness noun
  • unnarrow-minded adjective
  • unnarrow-mindedly adverb
  • unnarrow-mindedness noun

Etymology

Origin of narrow-minded

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said the paper had, despite partly moving with the times, "published countless judgemental, and narrow-minded stories" that were "clearly designed to undermine who we are and how we live our lives".

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Camara called criticism that she and other candidates were being allowed to run only to give the election a patina of authenticity a "narrow-minded view".

From Barron's • Nov. 3, 2025

He said he feared that the two great powers, with their nuclear-powered militaries, could accidentally stumble into war, through a mix of excessive nationalism and a narrow-minded approach to competition around the world.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2024

It is narrow-minded, cynical and overtly misanthropic, in the truest sense of that word.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2023

“One would have to be narrow-minded or have a misplaced sense of guilt to put one class absolutely above the other,” Theo agrees.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.